This is a 1960 Lincoln Continental Mark V Town Car. Do not confuse this Town Car with other “Town Cars” of 1969 and beyond. It is not a Town Car “option” or “package” or “trim”. This is a Town Car, period.  This car is, literally, la crème de la crème of all Lincolns. And, almost unbelievably, it is just 1 of 136 such Town Cars produced in 1960; out of 24,821 Lincolns made that year it can barely be measured in terms of percentage.

 The Town Car and its companion body style, the Limousine, were first offered in 1959; for both years and both body styles only 297 were made. Both the TC and Limousine offered every possible Lincoln amenity that was available in 1960 as standard equipment, from power vent windows to air conditioning to a heavily padded vinyl covered roof. The Town Car was designed to be primarily driven by its owner; the Limousine had a power-operated glass divider window to separate the chauffeur’s compartment with the rear seat and separate heater/radio controls.

 In 1960, you could buy a new Thunderbird for $3,900 sticker…a Falcon for $1,900. The 1960 Town Car had a suggested retail price of $9,207 which translates to roughly $100,000 in 2008 prices. This price was about $3,000 more than the highest priced Continental sedan. What did you get for that extra $3,000?

This is what the 1960 Lincoln sales brochure says about the Town Car and Limousine: “They reflect a craftsmanship that is unparalleled. The basic construction is expertly done in the Lincoln Continental plant. But all finishing work is crafted by the 84-year old firm of custom body-builders, Hess & Eisenhardt of Cincinnati. Every possible motoring luxury is standard equipment. For instance, both of these distinguished automobiles are air conditioned. And both are furnished with deep-pile carpeting a full half-inch thick., with gray woolen broadcloth upholstery…Because only two of these magnificently-built cars can be produced each day, orders can only be accepted for future delivery”.

 To say that this car is luxurious is the understatement of the year. Its interior trim level and attention to detail leaves other Lincoln models trailing in the dust. It is roomy almost to a fault; there simply is no other 6-passenger car of the era with the hip, leg, and head room of the Town Car. This Lincoln was a hallmark in all Lincoln production. It was without question, the largest “regular production” Lincoln ever built. Quite literally, you will not find a more distinctive, uncommon, or downright rare American car of the 1950s or 1960s… not a Mark II, not a Thunderbird Sports Roadster,  nothing.  This Lincoln truly stands out among the crowd, even in a crowd consisting only of Lincolns.